Trace Mountains

Based in Upstate New York, Trace Mountains represents the solo endeavors of former LVL UP singer/guitarist Dave Benton. Initially formed as a lo-fi folk side project, Benton self-released a collection of idiosyncratic yet endearing demos in 2016, followed in 2018 by Trace Mountains' debut, A Partner to Lean On. After LVL UP disbanded that same year, he moved to a small town in the Hudson Valley and committed himself more fully to his solo work, releasing the focused and ruminative indie rock of Lost in the Country in 2020, the more folk-tinged House of Confusion the next year, and fourth album Into the Burning Blue in 2024. Along with fellow singer and guitarist Mike Caridi, Benton founded LVL UP in 2011 while attending State University of New York in Purchase. Their D.I.Y. ethos and energetic lo-fi rock helped them become a staple of the East Coast indie scene over the coming years. Likewise, the label that Benton and Caridi ran, Double Double Whammy, released numerous albums by other key indie players like Hovvdy, Mitski, and Radiator Hospital. Meanwhile, Benton had been recording his own quieter acoustic-based material under the name Trace Mountains. A quirky and introspective mix of folky musings and minimalist indie rock, he released a collection of his early recordings in 2016 under the title Buttery Sprouts & Other Songs. Around that same time, LVL UP's activity began to decline, and in 2018, the same year Benton made his official Trace Mountains debut with A Partner to Lean On, they called it quits altogether. Recognizing it as a moment for personal change, Benton packed up and moved to the small town of Kingston in New York's Hudson Valley and began working on his follow-up with a handful of trusted collaborators. Released in 2020, Lost in the Country boasted a fuller and more focused sound with solitary themes often dealing with the natural world. The following year, Benton released House of Confusion, an even more refined set of songs that at times leaned into rootsy folk instrumentation. LVL UP reunited briefly in August 2024 to play a few shows in celebration of their album Hoodwink'd's tenth anniversary. Shortly thereafter, Trace Mountains returned with fourth album Into the Burning Blue. The record relied on more electrified rock instrumentation and cleaner production than previous efforts. ~ Timothy Monger